Sussex Students Blockade Carmel Agrexco!

Press Release: Carmel Blockaded in Jayyous Solidarity Action

At around 6:30 this morning a group of students from Brighton locked themselves to Carmel Agrexco, the Israeli state owned export company, toprotest against their complicity in the illegal annexation of the WestBank and the repression of students in the Palestinian village of Jayyous.Carmel Agrexco grows and imports agricultural produce (including fruit,vegetables and flowers) from illegal settlements in the West Bank whichare then sold in supermarkets such as Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Tesco andmany others. As such, companies such as Carmel Agrexco are responsible forthe systematic annexation of Palestinian land.In these settlements workers, including children, are known to work inslave-labour conditions, with low wages, inadequate access to food andwater, and no contract. Furthermore, the settlements have not only stolenland, but use up much needed agricultural resources such as water.This action has been done in response to a callout for boycott, divestmentand sanctions against Israel, after the events of 18th February andonwards in Jayyous. On this day, occupying Israeli Defence Force soldiersinvaded the town of Jayyous, where regular protests have been held againstthe building of the apartheid wall, which will annex 5,585 dunums (558.5hectares) of land from the town, much of which is to be used for theexpansion of the illegal settlement, Zufim.75 soldiers and 25 army jeeps invaded the town in the early hours of themorning, conducting house to house raids: throwing sound-bombs at housesbefore forcing families out at gunpoint and ransacking their houses. Atleast 75 people were arrested, the vast majority students, including theentire student Stop the Wall Committee. Those arrested were taken to aschool that the army had turned into a detention centre. Most of thepeople were blindfolded and handcuffed and all were forced to sit instress positions. They were not allowed to eat, drink or talk to eachother as they were taken in for interrogation one by one. They were heldfor as much as 19 hours and 15 young men were taken to Huwarra militarybase on unknown charges. Bulldozers were then brought in which createdblockades at the entrances to the town and the population were put undercurfew for 18 hours.Since then, the village has been invaded two further times, on the secondtime a half-day curfew was imposed on the town. Residents have also beenthreatened with home demolitions.James Robinson, one of the protestors, said “the situation in Jayyous isdemonstrative of the systematic human rights abuses perpetrated againstthe Palestinians for the expansion of the settlements which Carmel Agrexcosupports and profits from”.Press Contact: Katie Phillips 07774083705 studentboycott@hotmail.com

Our comment in the student newspaper last week

For original article see here.

Occupation protesters claim success

February 2, 2009 by The students of the occupation

Photo: facebook.com (Saï Mountand Glaad)

On Tuesday 27th, after a long, tiring week of sleeping on the floor of Arts A2, the occupation in response to the recent events in Gaza finally accomplished its aims of recognition and support from the University of Sussex for the people of Palestine.

Our demands were similar to those won by other academic institutions within the UK in previous weeks and designed to take advantage of the power and resources that we possess as students of a British academic institution to achieve real and immediate benefits for the oppressed Palestinian people. Among the resolutions accomplished was the creation of a scholarship fund to bring Palestinian students, many of whose universities have been bombed to oblivion with the aid of the UK government, over to Sussex to study. Another was for the university to divest its funds from arms companies that support the Israeli war machine, and thus to stop profiting from death in our names. Another achievement was the establishment of a scheme to pass on surplus computers, books and other educational equipment to Palestinian universities. These measures will make a real and concrete difference to some of the victims of the Israeli occupation.

Comments have been made about our methods. Some have asked us if it was really necessary to go to such extremes of an occupation: why not just lobby the management, for example? We answer that such methods simply have not worked. For five decades Palestinians have suffered whilst their geographical and cultural identity has been systematically eroded. And for three weeks the Israeli military has engaged in the massacre of 1300 Palestinian people, whilst the world sighed and expressed regret. It was always our intention to exert the maximum pressure with the minimum disruption. Lectures were allowed to continue as normal, with a two-minute explanation of our presence and cause at the beginning of each lecture, and only with the permission of the lecturer.

We organised by the most democratic means possible. Individuals organised themselves voluntarily into working groups, the composition of which was always fluid and open. No one group or faction exerted their will over others and the general atmosphere was always one of hard work and cooperation. Consistent efforts were made to engage the wider student population through flyering, dialogue, an info-stall outside Arts A2, daily open-access general meetings, and several organised discussions and educational events. Structures were agreed to allow everyone’s voice to be heard, including the introduction of a safer spaces policy, a dedicated welfare team, and a decision-making structure that valued the dialogue and consensus of everyone involved. We thank everyone who came and made a contribution and all those who expressed their support by signing the petition and by other means.

We came together from a varied spectrum of cultural and political backgrounds and represented many diverse perspectives. Many came with ideas based on ideological beliefs and theoretical understandings of the conflict, but many came with simply a horror of what they had seen (and what they had not seen) on the news. What brought us together was a determination to do what was in our power to help. We know that it’s a drop in the ocean. We know that it is not going to end the conflict. But it is what we can do. And when you can do something, anything, it is a crime to do nothing.

General update Sunday

First of all, an urgent call-out for art materials for the Viva Palestina convoy that will be leaving from London on Sat 14th February. This is a request from art students in Gaza, whose university was bombed. They are looking for paint, paintbrushes, canvases, sketch pads: in fact anything that an art student could use. If you can help with this request, please contact Harriett, from the Surplus Resources and Scholarships working group asap.

The national wave has gone international! We received news yesterday that the University of Rochester in New York had gone into occupation, and within nine hours they had claimed a complete victory! Their demands, which the Dean of Student affairs signed without amendments, were divestment from arms companies and other war profiteers, a day of fundraising for humanitarian aid for Gaza, twinning with the devastated University of Gaza and the sending of surplus academic resources, and five annual scholarships for Palestinian students. No students faced repercussions for their actions. Congratulations to Rochester for their swift success, and to other unis internationally: get on it guys!

In an amazing and appallingly unpublicised act of individual solidarity, Maria Gallestegui has entered the 4th week of a hunger strike in Parliament Square in London. She has been delivering a petition to Downing Street every day, having pledged not to end it until the blockade on Gaza is lifted. We hope that, with the blood of over 1300 Palestinians on their hands already, the British government will listen to the public voice before another life is lost to the Israeli occupation. Peace, solidarity and awe to Maria. 

On Saturday, a few members of the occupation went down to the demo at warehouse of Carmel-Agrexco, the main UK importer of produce from the occupied territories. After a few organisational hiccups, protestors arrived to find that the Met police had already set up their own blockade with 150 policemen blocking off the entrance having been camped out all night, so they waited around being photographed by the Forward "Intelligence" Team before the banners and the media arrived, and then had a bit of a chant and a rally. 

Last week saw a variety of different educational public events around campus including a moving performance of the Palestine Monologues, a panel including the Palestinian ambassador, and a screening of Occupation 101. All events were well-attended, showing the continued interest and energy  across campus around the issues motivating the occupations around the country.

We are also working hard to continue extending our links nationally with representatives attending the Stop the War conference on Saturday and a delegate visiting the Manchester occupation (which is still going and urgently need support: email VC Alan Gilbert at president@manchester.ac.uk) this weekend. We will also be hosting a national forum next Friday for representatives from the different occupations to meet and discuss our next steps as a national movement. 

And also on the subject of the national movement, check out the article in today's Independent, particularly notable for the following shock statement which almost sounds like an endorsement from NUS president Wes Streeting: "It's about time we got [sic] the student movement going again and had an impact." Glad to have you on board at last Wes! We look forward to seeing the national student union joining in with the national student movement! Check out as well the coverage of the occupation in the Badger last week. We made the front page! 

Update Monday evening

Despite rumours to the contrary today, our occupation is still very much ongoing and we are now preparing for day seven of our occupation tomorrow. We received some very positive communication from the university management today and having talked everything over at our general meeting tonight it seems that a positive resolution is in sight. Tomorrow daytime is wholly given over to lectures in Arts A2 and we need to maintain our strong silent presence: please do come and sign up to the rota if you have a spare hour in your day.

A member of the occupation was interviewed today for the awesome radical culture 'zine last hours and more media appearances are on the cards: watch this space!

Another speaker session is scheduled for tomorrow at 6pm with Geoffrey Whitfield, former chaplain of Sussex and executive director of 'The World Sports Peace Project', a conflict prevention NGO. We will also hear from Kees Van Der Pijl of the Sussex International Relations department, and will be very pleased to welcome the former national executive of Jews for Justice for Palestinians.

These are the videos of the National press conference for University Occupations in solidarity with Palestine. Two delegates from Sussex were sent off Thursday the 22nd of January to report to Al Jazeera, Press TV and different other media about the university occupation.
A successful press conference, which granted us excellent links with the King's College occupation (still ongoing) and the London School of Economics Occupation (that ended on the 21st of January).

Update Thursday afternoon

Sussex university management have opened engagement with the occupation and negotiations have begun. The liaison team have received a letter from the vice-chancellor's office which will be presented at today's general meeting at 7pm following the rally at 5pm with talks from Andrew Chitty and Jeremy Corbyn, MP. Please come along to discuss our response.

Two delegates from the occupation, Bushra and Riya, today attended a national press conference and have been interviewed by Al Jazeera television and Iranian TV channel Press TV.

A banner was hung on the front of the Arts1 building last night. The banner reads: 'End the siege of Gaza now'.

Notes on Sussex University arms investment

UK arms company shareholdings: Cobham £1,389
(see http://www.caat.org.uk/publications/companies/cobham.php)

US arms company shareholdings: General Electric £4,373
(see http://www.motherjones.com/news/special_reports/arms/ge.html and http://www.globalexchange.org/countries/mideast/palestine/arms.html)

Total Assets Invested (all shares) £9,321,000Arms shares as % of total investments 0.06

Information refers to May 2008

To verify information, email: James Knapton, Freedom of Information OfficerTo register concerns, email: Allan Spencer, Director of Finance

Information sourced from Campaign Against the Arms Trade

Press Release: Sussex Students for A Free Palestine.

Over 80 University of Sussex Students have occupied a major lecture theatre in solidarity with Palestine under siege.

Motivated by the escalating crisis in Gaza, University of Sussex students have issued a set of demands to the University management calling for immediate action. The occupation is a response to recent Israeli military assault on Gaza. We stand in solidarity with the School of Oriental and African Studies, the London School of Economics, King's College London, Birmingham and Essex Universities. The occupied space will be used for education and dialogue until the following demands are met:

We demand:

1. That the University of Sussex issue a statement condemning the recent and continuing atrocities perpetrated by Israel in the Gaza strip. The University should officially denounce the attacks on civilians, the systematic obstruction of humanitarian aid and the targeting of academic institutions, hospitals, places of worship and international peace keeping facilities.

2. That the University of Sussex cease to invest directly or indirectly in companies complicit in human rights abuses in the Gaza strip and internationally. We would like to draw attention to the motion passed on this subject in the USSU AGM this academic year.

3. That no Israeli goods or goods produced by companies that have directly funded the State of Israel be sold on campus. The University of Sussex should remove these goods from all private retail and dining facilities as the Union is endeavoring to accomplish.

4. That the University of Sussex provide complete financial scholarships for three students from Al-Quds Open University in Tubas with which USSU is twined and three students from Gaza University which has been bombed by the Israeli military.

5. That any surplus educational resources available to the University of Sussex are provided to Gaza University and that the shipping of these resources be fully paid for by the University of Sussex.

6. That there be no legal, financial, or academic measures taken against anyone involved in or supporting the occupation. This extends to the Student Union. Students involved will be guaranteed free movement in and out of the occupied space.

This is a non violent and inclusive protest decisions are made on the base of consensus decision making. All University of Sussex students are encouraged to participate in this process. During the occupation we will adhere to the same codes of personal conduct as is expected of us as members of the student community.

Any disruption to our peers' education is expressly against our wishes and we will respect the rights of freedom of speech, freedom of expression and the right to disagree.